Innovation Project Manager

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 64,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare discounts

Gym memberships discounts

Cycle to Work scheme

Online GP service

Counselling service

Job summary

SSE is seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead complex innovation programmes from development through to adoption and benefits realisation. You will coordinate cross‑functional teams and external partners to deliver scalable value for customers, network and business, across technical, digital, operational and strategic change.

Based in Glasgow, Perth, Portsmouth or Reading, you will balance pace with governance, controls and commercial awareness to ensure safe, compliant and durable

Qualifications

• Strong track record delivering complex projects end-to-end.
• Experience in innovation, technology, engineering or regulated environments.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects.
• Experience with budgets, forecasts, contracts, suppliers, risks and changes.
• Excellent stakeholder leadership and communication skills.
• Pragmatic and improvement-focused mindset with sound judgement.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex innovation projects from concept to closure with delivery plans, governance, budgets and priorities.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams and delivery partners to align and deliver outcomes.
• Manage project performance, forecasts, controls, risk management and reporting.
• Drive adoption with deployment pathways and transition into standard governance.
• Shape the future innovation pipeline and funding proposals, improving delivery standards.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder leadership

Budget management

Regulatory awareness

Education

APM PMQ

PRINCE2 Practitioner

Job description

Base Location: Glasgow, Perth, Portsmouth or Reading. You’ll be expected to spend 50% of your working week in one of these locations.

Salary: £64,085 - £76,581 + a range of benefits to support your finances, wellbeing and family.

Working Pattern: Permanent | Full Time | Flexible First options available

The role

We are looking for an experienced Project Manager to lead complex innovation projects from early development through to operational adoption and benefits realisation. This role sits at the heart of innovation delivery, combining pace, collaboration and creative problem‑solving with strong project controls, commercial awareness and professional rigour.

You’ll work across a diverse portfolio of forward‑looking initiatives, coordinating multidisciplinary teams and external partners to turn innovation funding into practical, scalable and lasting value for our customers, network and business. Working across technical, digital, operational and strategic change, you will help promising ideas progress through delivery, deployment and ultimately into Business‑as‑Usual operations.

You will

• Lead complex innovation projects from concept through to closure, establishing clear delivery plans, governance, budgets, resources and priorities while managing multiple initiatives across different technical and operational areas.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams and delivery partners, bringing together engineering, business analysis, operational, commercial and specialist expertise to maintain alignment, manage dependencies and deliver agreed outcomes.
• Manage project performance and innovation funding effectively, maintaining robust forecasts, controls, risk management, regulatory evidence and reporting while identifying opportunities to maximise the value achieved from investment.
• Drive projects towards adoption and measurable benefits, working with operational owners to establish deployment pathways, readiness arrangements, support models and effective transition into standard business governance.
• Shape the future innovation pipeline and strengthen delivery practice, developing high‑value opportunities and funding proposals, applying lessons learned and improving project management standards across the innovation portfolio.

You have

• A strong track record of delivering complex projects end-to-end, ideally across innovation, technology, engineering, operational change or another regulated environment, including the successful management of multiple concurrent projects.
• Recognised project management expertise, supported by a relevant qualification such as APM PMQ, PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent professional experience applying structured governance and stage‑gate approaches.
• Strong financial, commercial and delivery management capability, with experience of managing substantial budgets, forecasts, contracts, suppliers, risks, issues, dependencies and changes.
• Excellent stakeholder leadership and communication skills, with the confidence to influence senior stakeholders, facilitate effective decision‑making and build trusted relationships across technical, operational and external partner organisations.
• A pragmatic, adaptable and improvement‑focused mindset, able to exercise sound judgement, maintain momentum in uncertain environments and balance innovation ambition with safe, compliant and scalable delivery.

About SSE

SSE’s purpose is to be restless every day until we make electricity clean, affordable and available for all.

We do this by developing, building, operating and investing in electricity infrastructure and businesses needed in the energy transition. This includes electricity transmission and distribution networks, onshore and offshore wind farms, hydro-electric power and flexible thermal generation. We also provide products and services for businesses and other customers.

Our investment plan will see SSE invest £33bn in critical electricity infrastructure to 2030.

SSEN Distribution, part of the wider SSE group, powers 3.9 million UK homes and businesses. Our team of more than 4,200 skilled engineers, customer service advisors and technical specialists keep customers connected to a safe, reliable supply of electricity while investing in and developing the flexible networks needed for our low carbon future.

Flexible Benefits To Fit Your Life

Enjoy discounts on private healthcare and gym memberships. Wellbeing benefits like a free online GP and 24/7 counselling service. Interest‑free loans on tech and transport season tickets, or a new bike with our Cycle to Work scheme. As well as generous family entitlements such as maternity and adoption pay, and paternity leave.

Work with an equal opportunity employer

SSE will make any reasonable adjustments you need to ensure that your application and experience with us is positive. Please contact [e-mail] / 01738 341814 to discuss how we can support you.

We're dedicated to fostering an open and inclusive workplace where people from all backgrounds can thrive. We create equal opportunities for everyone to succeed and especially welcome applications from those who may not be well represented in our workforce or industry.